Starting life as a PC game, before being recreated on nearly a dozen other formats, Plants Vs Zombies has been a surprise hit.

And, because Electronic Arts now owns the developer that made it, that success is in the process of being turned into a franchise. This involves churning out new episodes, one of which was the dreadful freemium Plants Vs Zombies 2.

The other is this excellent third-person shooter. In its game of floral combat you pick a side in the flowerbed war and partake in heroically chaotic online battles and co-op levels, its distinctly offbeat sense of humour and essential silliness removing the usual horror of war in favour of something more lighthearted. Garden Warfare was one of the Xbox One’s early – and slightly mystifying – exclusives, but now PlayStation owners have their turn to play this unusually family-friendly shooter.

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80 Days, iOS

Breaching the line between interactive fiction and boardgame, 80 Days tells the story of Phileas Fogg’s attempt to win a bet by circumnavigating the globe, accompanied by you: his faithful pal, Passepartout. As well as ensuring that your master is properly attired and in good spirits, you also need to explore cities to discover new roads, faster forms of transport, and to shop for souvenirs.

Decisions are presented as a set of options in the style of a Choose Your Own Adventure book, but you’ll also need to plan routes, take calculated risks and occasionally neglect poor old Fogg in favour of a little reconnaissance. Its near-text only representation of a cyberpunk Victorian-era world is charming and strangely evocative, and while there’s no action other than reading, choosing and gentle discovery, 80 Days delivers a hugely satisfying sense of pioneering exploration.